We talk about DIY pest control from time to time and while this can be a successful way to control pests, it’s not always the most efficient and environmentally friendly answer to the problem. Doing your own pest control can be quite the investment of time, energy and sometimes even money.

Here are 10 reasons why you should hire a professional pest control company instead of treating the problem yourself.

1. Pest control companies have the knowledge plus years and years of experience in identifying pests.

2. Pest management professionals use pesticides that last at least 60 days as opposed to pesticides purchased in local stores which can have residual effects that may only last 30 minutes.

3. Using a professional company will allow you to get on a maintenance schedule to prevent any reoccurring pest infestations.

4. Many companies are so confident in their work they’ll offer a guarantee for a certain period of time.

5. The pesticides used by professional pest control companies are regulated for consumer protection. Plus, a company will know the safe but effective amount of pesticide to use.

6. Some companies are licensed to do research with their findings; this research helps to improve pest control treatments.

7. Pest control companies must be licensed. In the state of California, the Structural Pest Control Board is the regulating body.

8. Professionals know the safest way to treat the problem. Bees and wasps can be dangerous if they’re not handled properly.

9. Chances are, an experienced pest control company has seen a similar pest problem and if not, they’ll figure out how to fix it. Professionals have specialized equipment and knowledge, which comes in handy for pests such as termites.

10. It’s not uncommon for pest control companies to offer free quotes and/or home inspections. Take advantage of these and don’t hesitate to get a second opinion.

Hiring a pest control company may seem costly but it’s worth the investment. Because of experience and the latest technologies, professionals can safely handle your pest infestation in a timely manner. When you pay a pest control company you’re paying for the pesticides but anyone can spray a baseboard; you’re also paying for knowledge and experience.

Integrated Pest Management, commonly referred to as IPM, is actually a program or a group of steps adopted to effectively control pests.

IPM is important because it looks for the best (and most cost effective) way to manage pest problems with the least possible damage to the environment, people and even property.

Elements of IPM:

• Prevention – as we’ve mentioned many times, prevention is key to pest management. Prevention also fits well with IPM because it is often inexpensive and there is little to no harm to people and the environment
• Control – the use of pesticides are of course part of control but there are other methods, and many of these methods are considered before pesticides. Trapping is one example of a mechanical method for control.
• Identifying Pests – properly identifying pests is one of the most important steps in IPM … some pesticides work better for some pests than others and IPM helps to keep unneeded pesticides out of the situation. Being able to properly identify the pest also helps to understand the life cycle which is very important to successfully treating the problem.

IPM can be used in a variety of environments from commercial buildings to homes and even in agricultural settings. Schools are the ideal place for IPM; it’s a safer and cost effective solution to pest control.

If you’d like more information, check out the University of California’s website for their statewide integrated pest management program; the site is full of valuable information on managing and identifying pests in California.

On a side note: Have a thing for ugly bugs? Vote in the 2009 Ugly Bug Contest…the cockroach and the paper wasp are just two of the 10 insects up for the prestigious title.

It is not uncommon to occasionally see a fruit fly (or several) in the house. Yes, they are annoying but can they carry diseases? Fruit flies can transfer bacteria and other disease carrying organisms to any food they land on.

Prevention is the best way to avoid any problems with fruit flies, here are some tips:

• Clean up any spilled food or liquid on counters, near garbage cans, in cupboards, etc…
• Eat or throw away any over ripe fruit
• Keep an eye on your recycling bin, the flies love food residue left on cans and bottles
• Take out the garbage on a regular basis

If you already have a problem with the flies you’ll want to eliminate any food source. Once you eliminate all food sources that could attract the flies, you’ll want to thoroughly clean all surfaces where the flies could’ve laid eggs. This is important because while you may not see any flies, their eggs may still be in hiding.  Doing a good deep clean is usually effective against the fruit flies.

If you’d like to trap the adult fruit flies, many people have success with setting out bowls of dish soap and vinegar, red wine or even rotting fruit covered with saran wrap and a small hole poked into it; the flies go in but can’t find their way out.

Fruit flies may be a nuisance in the house but the tiny flies are beneficial; fruit flies are often used in college science labs, they’re used to help develop new mosquito repellents and fruit flies are even used to research human genetics.

Hiring a professional pest control company is a worthwhile investment. Professionals know what pesticide to use and the correct amount needed to get the job done, plus professionals are regulated by organizations such as the Structural Pest Control Board.

Choosing a professional may be the best value for your money and time, both of which are important regardless if the structure is residential or commercial. Also, pest control company guarantees are not uncommon.

So in addition to knowledge and expertise, what should you expect from your pest control company?

• Arrive on time when scheduled
• Learn about previous termite work by asking questions
• Wear clean uniforms and have a positive attitude
• No smoking
• Wear shoe covers and use drop clothes to protect floors and other surfaces
• Let you know what will be done before the treatment is performed
• Thoroughly explain the findings and the possible solutions
• Say “please” and “thank you” – you can never be too polite
• Stay until the job is complete

One of our readers recently asked “When you fumigate, are all of the gaseous pesticides absorbed into the ground or when the tents come down do the gases get let into the air? Also if the gases are released into the air, do you know how harmful for the environment that can be?”

Good question but it’s a little tricky to answer.

Each fumigation is different; the conditions at the time of the fumigation determine where the gases go and at what percentages. I’ll try to give a very rough summary.

A lot depends on the environmental conditions at the time of the fumigation; the moisture content of the soil and temperature determines the amount of gas absorbed into the soil. The temperature of the air and relative humidity greatly affect the amount absorbed into the atmosphere when the tent is on and also determines the amount of gas injected into the structure.

A little less than 50% of the gas is dissipated when the tent is in place. When the tent is removed, a natural aeration period begins and allows the remaining gas to escape into the environment.

We suggested our reader contact the main fumigant suppliers for a more detailed answer…if you’re looking for some more detail we suggest you contact the companies below.

Dow AgroSciences

Drexal Chemical Company 

Also be aware, don’t expect a definite answer. There’s a lot of debate about the impact on the environment and very little quantifiable data. Much of the pro/con data is interpretive so always consider the source of the information.

Did you know that there are more than 30,000 different species of insects that call California home? While that number may seem large, there are actually insects in California considered endangered.

First it’s important to remember that California has the most diverse terrain and climate in all of the United States so the diversity of insects is correlated. But as the state continues to develop, the delicate balance of the ecology continues to change. On the other hand, because of California’s varying climates, many unusual species of insects, plants, animals, etc…reside strictly in the state. There are numerous species that can only be found in California, the California Timena Walking Stick is one example, and the famous redwood trees are another as they can only be found on the West Coat of the United States.

According to a Berkeley University website, there are 20 species of insects considered endangered in California and another 150 species still being reviewed. It’s interesting to note the majority of the insects on the threatened list are winged insects such as butterflies.

There is also a list of insects that have already become extinct. These species could not adapt to the changes in their habitat.

It’s obviously that the best way to prevent these species of insects (or any creature) from going extinct is by preserving their habitats. There are national parks and preserves that can help protect their homes but it’s not enough with the rapid development that is taking place in California and all over the country.

There’s no doubt that the mosquito is one of the most annoying pests, they bite and they always seem to show up in large numbers. This is this time of year when mosquitoes start to come around and can easily get out of control. But there are some easy steps to take to control and reduce the number of mosquitoes around the yard and house.

1. Clean gutters
2. Change the water in bird baths every week
3. Put fish in the garden pond…the fish will eat mosquito larvae
4. Drain kiddie pools on a regular basis

The basic idea is to avoid stagnant water where mosquitoes could use as a breeding ground. It may also be helpful to hire a professional pest control service to treat shrubs and bushes around the house; mosquitoes most likely hang out in these spots during the day.

Controlling the mosquito population not only avoids annoying bug bites but it also helps prevent diseases from being spread; malaria, encephalitis and the West Nile virus can be spread by mosquitos.

• California is home to over 50 species of mosquitoes
• Mosquitoes can be found throughout California from the desert to the mountains
• Many species of mosquitoes in California don’t post a health threat to people but several species do
• The mosquitoes that cause problems in California belong to the  Aedes, Anopheles and Culex genera

For more detailed information, read this overview of mosquito control practices in California.

Spiders have a characteristic appearance which is easily identifiable by most people. They have eight legs compared to most insects six legs, and they also have no wings or antennae. The spider is considered to be beneficial because it eats other pests; most people can’t get over their creepy appearance.

Spiders have to be treated differently than other insects when it comes to pest control. By nature, spiders are difficult to control with pesticides. Their legs are non-porous, so they don’t really absorb the chemical well. The body of a spider is usually off the ground so it doesn’t come in contact with the pesticide either. If you try to use a dust, that won’t generally work because they don’t groom themselves. Yes, insects do groom themselves. Believe it or not, roaches groom themselves similarly to a cat. Depending on the species (there are over 35,000 species of spiders) some spiders can hold their breath long enough that even fogging or tenting will not kill them.

Most pest control companies will not guarantee their services for spiders just because of the difficulty in controlling them. One of the better ways to control spiders is by eliminating their food sources. If there are no other insects around your home then they don’t have anything to eat; eventually the spiders move on or starve. Another way to control these nuisances is to treat around the window sills, door jams and eaves. Some companies still use power sprayers to apply chemical and there’s just no way to treat these important areas without making a mess of the home.

Most spider bites are relatively harmless other then some redness and irritation. The Black Widow and the Brown Recluse are the two species which cause the most harm and require immediate medical attention. This fact is also the reason why these two species are misidentified by homeowners more than any others. If a spider is found that may be harmful, collect the specimen in a container and take it into a local pest control company for identification.

The pest in the picture to the left is a glassy-winged sharpshooter. The name is not made up but the insect is considered both exotic and invasive to the state of California, this pest has is even been seen in Orange County.

A pest that is exotic and invasive is a pest that is not a native species (insect, plant, etc…) and has rapidly spread throughout the region. Exotic and invasive pests can be intentionally or accidentally introduced. But many times it is very difficult to eradicate the species and can often cause environmental problems within its new home.

According to invasivespeciesinfo.gov, almost half of endangered and threaten species in the United States are impacted by invasive species. The same site mentions that one study estimates that invasive species cost more than $100 billion for the United States every year.

It’s interesting to note that species that are staples in our country such as rice, corn and cattle were once introduced and could be considered invasive and exotic. So it’s possible to say that there are pros and cons. But more often than not, the introduction of invasive and exotic pests should be avoided.

Here are a few easy steps to prevent a non-native species from becoming invasive:

• Avoid dumping anything from an aquarium into local ponds, streams, etc… This include plants, fish and invertebrate
• Burn firewood where you buy it…transporting firewood can move insects and other pests from one region to another
• When possible, use native plants in your landscaping
• Think twice when buying exotic pests such as pythons, parrots, etc… these animals can cause numerous problems including threats to safety and human health

Here’s a great resource for invasive and exotic pests. This site includes information and pictures for exotic insects, plants, weeds and other species. Invasive.org is also a great place to find related links and publications dedicated to invasive and exotic pests.

The maintenance of controlling pests varies depending on the pest, the location of the building and several other factors. But here in Southern California where the weather is warm year-round, pest maintenance is most beneficial when performed every month or two.

It’s important to remember maintenance. The pests are gone after the initial treatment but since insects and other pests are constantly breeding, they can come back. So just because the pests are gone right now doesn’t mean they wont return which is why controlling pests is a never ending job, especially in pest control in Orange County, California.

Did you know?

• Worker termites live between two and five years and queen termites can live up to 25 years
• It takes three to four months for an egg of a cockroach to develop into an adult cockroach
• For two to five years, a queen bee lays several thousand eggs a day
• Male black widow spiders are sometimes killed by the female black widow after they mate